Mortgage rates have been acting a bit like a rollercoaster lately. If you’re planning to buy a home, that back-and-forth movement can feel a bit unsettling. However, while you can't control the market, you can control your strategy.

In a housing market defined by high interest rates and low inventory, savvy homebuyers are turning back the clock. They aren’t using a time machine; they’re using assumable mortgages. An assumable mortgage allows a buyer to take over a seller’s existing loan—including its original interest rate.

If you’ve been watching the housing market from the sidelines, you’re not alone. Over the past few years, affordability challenges have caused many buyers and sellers to pause their plans, waiting for clearer signals and better conditions. Heading into 2026, those signals are finally starting to align.